Chapter 443: Details Determine Victory

Chapter 443: Details Determine Victory

Inside another Invited Player’s Login Space…

“Oh? This… is it the power of the ancient Demon God?” Tian Tian Gui Xiao watched the live tournament broadcast on his monitor with keen interest. “No wonder Brother Chan was so intrigued by this Mad Bu Jue—truly extraordinary. Heh,” he muttered, tightening his fists as a smirk curled his lips. “This guy… is fascinating.”

…

Above the Colosseum…

Xu Huai Shang radiated golden light, but Feng Bu Jue’s black battle aura burned even fiercer.

In this moment…

Sword Soul faced Demon God, their battle intent shaking the heavens.

“I won’t hold back,” Feng Bu Jue murmured, lunging forward.

Xu Huai Shang met him with twin blades, stance poised for direct confrontation.

The clash erupted with deadly techniques from both sides.

Xu Huai Shang struck first, twin blades unleashing radiant arcs—seven or eight slashes seemed to erupt simultaneously in a single second.

Her Eight-Direction Annihilation technique resembled a shotgun blast from the Blade Guild, overwhelming Feng Bu Jue’s front with intimidation. Yet Feng Bu Jue remained unfazed.

Now level thirty-nine, Feng Bu Jue’s physical condition was extreme, his martial arts proficiency at B-rank. With Demon God Descent and Spirit Sense Body Technique both activated, his speed had surpassed human comprehension.

To Feng Bu Jue’s eyes, Xu Huai Shang’s slashes played out frame by frame—timing, weight, speed—all visible. Dodging them was effortless.

“This feels different from last time…” Feng Bu Jue realized internally. “Activating this way… I’ve broken through again.” He understood suddenly, “So in Demon God Descent form, the stronger my inherent capabilities, the higher the power tier I experience…”

His perception had become nearly that of a derivative being. Focus his mind, and physical matter transformed into data streams before him.

“I see… This is the true nature of energy, huh? Seems directly manipulable.” As he mused, he extended his hand. The next second, he seized a tendril of black battle aura, condensing it from ephemeral to tangible—a lethal black energy beam.

Feng Bu Jue’s method of shaping clouds into halberds mirrored Xu Huai Shang’s shifting Light Blades, yet his execution was undeniably superior.

Xu Huai Shang’s eyes widened. She launched three consecutive techniques—Mind Eye Blade: Water Moon, Mind Eye Blade: Annihilation, Mind Eye Blade: Heaven Net—attacking from lower, middle, and upper angles.

Her slashes glowed cyan-blue, each move swift as startled swans, guarding her front completely.

But Feng Bu Jue’s speed had far exceeded her expectations.

“Hmph… Slow as stillness,” a mocking chuckle echoed. Feng Bu Jue appeared behind Xu Huai Shang, the black energy beam in his hand piercing her back.

A crimson bloom erupted across Xu Huai Shang’s chest, staining her white robe with sakura petals.

“Kgh…” Blood spewed from her lips as her delicate brows furrowed, beauty faltering.

The heart-piercing wound was agonizing. Fans watching nearly tore their hair out in anguish, yet she endured, refusing defeat.

In Soul Arrival state, vitality was infinite. This surpassed Demon God Descent’s 300% vitality, simply put—unless her physical form suffered catastrophic injury, she wouldn’t die.

Thus, Xu Huai Shang had no intention of yielding. She still had fight left.

“Chance!” Ignoring her pain, she gritted her teeth and twisted around, exploiting Feng Bu Jue’s momentary instability to counterattack.

Her long blade suddenly shifted purple-blue, unleashing a burst of energy in a single slash.

Feng Bu Jue stepped back, covering his arms in black aura to parry.

“Clang!”

The colliding energies shattered Feng Bu Jue’s aura and Xu Huai Shang’s blade force simultaneously. In that instant, Feng Bu Jue’s middle guard lay wide open.

Xu Huai Shang seized the opportunity, her twin blades continuing their assault—one blue arc sweeping upward, one purple thrusting forward. Behind these came a hidden finishing strike: a forward lean, arms spreading for a horizontal cleave.

Dual Moon Formation: First Katana, Second Katana—Yagyū Jūbei’s defensive-breaking combo, the signature technique of Dual Sword Style. Its strength lay in overpowering defenses and precise execution.

Facing Feng Bu Jue, trickery gained nothing. Zero-time calculations rendered “surprise” meaningless. Thus, mature, fixed techniques proved more effective than unpredictable ones.

“Zzzsh!”

Three sharp sounds—Feng Bu Jue’s right chest, left shoulder, and ribs each bled. The wounds gaped, flesh torn. Yet his expression remained calm; no immediate mortal danger existed.

“Hm… As expected… From the data layer, ‘injury’ is just anomalous code combinations. If I understand the conversion method, pure energy can reorganize them…” Feng Bu Jue felt no combat fear. Opponents couldn’t pressure him mentally, allowing calm analysis amid battle.

“Pure energy can transform into multiple data forms. Should enable many possibilities…” As he theorized, he guided the black battle aura flowing from his wounds, quickly covering the three injuries. The bleeding ceased.

“Skills… are system-provided formulas to help players utilize energy effectively,” Feng Bu Jue summarized during this untimely experiment. “But these formulas’ complexity exceeds human capacity. Even F-rank medicinal skills dwarf my current efforts… To compare, my actions are like shooting hoops; what the system does is invent ‘basketball’ within a second.”

These thoughts flashed through his mind in seconds.

Meanwhile, the black energy beam piercing Xu Huai Shang’s body dissipated, her wounds healing instantly.

Xu Huai Shang flicked her wrist, merging her twin blades into one. This new weapon appeared plain—standard blade form—but its momentum surpassed all previous.

This was Ming Blade: River Puffer Poison.

Three minutes had passed in her skill’s duration. Her opponent wasn’t someone she could defeat with three moves. She had to capitalize on momentum without delay.

“Gale Arc Moon Slash!” she cried, charging forward.

“Hmph,” Feng Bu Jue scoffed, backflipping to unleash Storm Leg—White Thunder. He roared the technique name with unusual seriousness. At his current power, its might rivaled R2-Lingfeng’s standards.

Xu Huai Shang cared nothing for vitality loss. She engaged his slash with close-range combat, relying on her technique’s power to breach his air blast and advance.

“Tough opponent… Then have this! Storm Leg—Wolf Pack Star Chain!” Feng Bu Jue leapt, feet kicking rapidly, sending four unique crescent waves—like starving wolves lunging at prey.

“Hmph… Tough? That’s my line,” Xu Huai Shang thought bitterly. Her cheeks, waist, outer thigh bled from the slashes. One strike even grazed her neck.

Yet now, she resolved on an instant kill. Enduring searing pain, she withheld counterattacks, relying solely on tenacity and willpower to close the distance to Feng Bu Jue.

In this second, face-to-face, Xu Huai Shang lunged forward while Feng Bu Jue completed his backflip.

Xu Huai Shang sought annihilation. Feng Bu Jue’s battle aura raged.

A heaven-shaking slash erupted—

Ultimate Art: Heaven-Shaking Void Sundering Slash

To Feng Bu Jue’s eyes, the blade flashed—a devastating killing move crushing down. An invisible force pressed his body, denying evasion.

Instantly, Death Poker’s golden light flared, activating Card Shield’s special effect.

Feng Bu Jue unleashed his sole defense skill, channeling all battle aura into the light-card shield to block the fatal slash.

Yet an instant later, blood exploded outward…

Feng Bu Jue lost the clash against Xu Huai Shang’s blade force. A diagonal slash tore open his chest, the wound grotesque, blood spraying five paces.

“I see…” Feng Bu Jue laughed even now. “Before this skill ends, your vitality remains infinite, right? No wonder you could fight without… ugh…” A surge of blood interrupted him.

“You’re too late to realize!” Xu Huai Shang, breath steadying, gathered power for a finishing blow—Heaven-Shaking God-Sealing Slash!

【Soul Arrival】's state was truly divine. As long as conditions allowed and his aura could keep up, Xu Huai Shang could unleash ultimate techniques consecutively without restraint.

"I'll tear you in half..." Feng Bu Jue said coldly. His battle aura reignited, dark energy surging toward the heavens.

In an instant, heaven and earth darkened, and sun and moon lost their light.

Feng Bu Jue's entire form became shrouded in battle aura like a demon god's body. He met the onslaught head-on, advancing rather than retreating.

Xu Huai Shang likewise had no intention of yielding, her blade pressure unrelenting.

Yet as their techniques collided, the Heaven-Tearing God-Sealing Slash was actually dispersed by Feng Bu Jue's bare hands. The radiant blade shattered violently.

"How... is this possible...?" Xu Huai Shang involuntarily spoke the fateful words that always preceded doom.

"Blades and fists are both merely data", Feng Bu Jue declared mid-combat. "The energy shaping that blade and the energy surrounding my body are fundamentally similar. Thus, the stronger force naturally shatters the weaker!"

With Xu Huai Shang's weapon destroyed, their battle transformed into hand-to-hand combat.

Instantly, fists tore through swirling winds while palms swept mountains and rivers into chaos. They clashed fiercely, blow following blow with visceral impact.

......

"Damn you! Take your hands off me!"

"You dared strike my Shangshang? Die, scum!"

"Go, Xu Huai Shang!"

Tens of thousands of spectators had their hearts lodged in their throats. Hearing Feng Bu Jue and Xu Huai Shang's exchange, they realized the latter had activated some ability with severe limitations to sustain the fight.

"This... this is unbelievable..." commentator Hua Xiong stammered. "Both fighters' strength and speed have clearly surpassed their level constraints. They're engaging in a battle that defies limits. Even though the system cameras can barely keep pace, our eyes struggle to follow!"

Pan Feng interjected, "Currently, neither holds advantage. Though Mad Bu Jue maintains absolute superiority in capability, Xu Huai Shang's martial arts skill ten points proves formidable. Under her relentless defense, Mad Bu Jue cannot land decisive strikes."

"Brother Pan", Hua Xiong asked, "from their earlier exchange, we learned Xu Huai Shang's vitality value appears infinite. Does a 'decisive strike' even exist anymore?"

Pan Feng replied, "Certainly! Mad Bu Jue's threat to 'tear her apart' wasn't mere intimidation—it meant literal dismemberment."

"You mean..." Hua Xiong prompted.

"Even with infinite vitality, losing one's head would still count as defeat", Pan Feng explained. "Similarly, if the body were severed at any spinal midpoint..."

Before they finished speaking, Xu Huai Shang's fanbase erupted in wails.

"What! He dares do this?!"

"Mad Bu Jue must die!"

"I'll come kill you myself if you harm Shangshang!"

Without system restrictions, obscenities would've flown.

......

"I didn't realize this until that Heaven-Tearing Void-Sundering Slash", Feng Bu Jue mused. "My current realm in Demon God Mode actually grows stronger with prolonged combat... Like when I sustained injuries earlier—the greater the damage, the more my demonic energy and battle aura surged."

Meeting her exhausted yet determined gaze, he continued, "Without your blade, you've fought this far... commendable. But... this is where it ends."

As his words fell, his palm flipped, techniques shifting like clouds. His hand shot toward her neck amidst dark energy.

Xu Huai Shang, seemingly prepared, shifted her footwork and tilted her body sideways. Suddenly, she became a streak of light, dashing past Feng Bu Jue.

"Feng Mo Ke?" Feng Bu Jue reacted instantly, mind racing. "If she can use Feng Mo Ke, that means... she can access all techniques of Tachibana Shigetada..."

Before the thought completed, he turned to counter—but Xu Huai Shang's next move already awaited—【Demon Subduing Summoning Break】.

A circular black magic array materialized beneath Feng Bu Jue's right foot, an invisible gravitational force rooting him in place.

Xu Huai Shang completed her setup, gathering power for a massive attack. A blue-black energy sphere rapidly formed in her hands, its brutal energy visibly escalating.

Feng Bu Jue recognized the might of 【Ten Deathgod Sealing Formation】—his vitality value couldn't withstand another direct hit.

So he did something reckless...

In a flash, cards scattered. Golden light blazed. Blood arced like crimson mist.

Feng Bu Jue had severed his own right leg with a Death Poker!

As the leg dropped, his left foot activated Moonstep, rocketing him backward.

【Demon God Descent】granted nearly inexhaustible battle aura. As long as spiritual energy remained, he could wield it freely. While retreating, he silently channeled dark battle aura to heal his severed limb and wounds. Within moments, regeneration began—red blood cells, bone marrow, flesh surged like horror-film vegetation, intertwining in grotesque growth.

Xu Huai Shang hadn't anticipated this method. After her blade's destruction, she'd hidden Tachibana's techniques, allowing Feng Bu Jue offensive control while relying on infinite vitality to defend. Now, after finally seizing a reversal opportunity, her ultimate strike had failed.

The missed attack plunged Xu Huai Shang into despair. 【Soul Arrival】's time had expired—she had no second chance.

Her graceful form collapsed. The post-technique backlash left her powerless, lying on the Colosseum floor, completely vulnerable.

Feng Bu Jue needed only a Storm Leg strike to end this.

Unfortunately...

As Feng Bu Jue stabilized, his severed leg barely regenerated when 【Demon God Descent】's time limit expired.

Using his momentum, he plopped onto the ground and... sprawled skyward.

......

The mall fell silent once more.

Earlier silence stemmed from shock at witnessing 【Northern Dipper Flying Dragon Fist】clashing with 【Southern Cross Sparrow】 (though had they known what followed, this paled in comparison).

Now, silence came from confusion.

"What happened? Who won?"

"Neither turned into white light..."

"But they're both motionless..."

After a tense pause, paranoid whispers spread.

"Viewers, both combatants collapsed after intense exchange!" Hua Xiong roared. "Looks like the final moment approaches!"

Pan Feng added with ten points tension, "Who will rise to deliver the last decisive strike?"

......

Suddenly, a hunched figure bounced merrily into the Colosseum.

"Shishishi..." Mushiro Koganei chuckled with his signature lisp, approaching Feng Bu Jue. "Boss, I returned at the promised time."

"Hahahaha... ahahaha!" Feng Bu Jue erupted in wild laughter.

Xu Huai Shang sighed deeply. She understood—it was over...

"This can't be..." Her beautiful face bore bitter laughter. "From the scenario's start, I secretly ordered him to exit for twenty points, returning before summoning duration expired." Feng Bu Jue replied to her sigh. "At the time, I never imagined the situation evolving this way. I originally thought since he'd disappear eventually, having him return briefly before vanishing would still help—however slightly—compared to disappearing outside the Colosseum."

"Heh..." Xu Huai Shang smiled. "You've defeated me... Even an unrelated ability was perfectly utilized... A seemingly trivial detail became the deciding factor... Fine, I concede."

"Thank you." Feng Bu Jue turned to Mushiro Koganei. "Go kick that big sister."

"Okay." Mushiro Koganei nodded, kicking her arm lightly.

As Xu Huai Shang's final 1% vitality value depleted, Mad Bu Jue's first match finally declared victory.

After this extreme battle, Feng Bu Jue had finally advanced to the Peak Conquest Tournament's final round.

Yet... the true war had just begun...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end